Overweight

In the Netherlands, 1 in 3 women is overweight. Overweight is usually the result of wrong eating habits, eating too much and not exercising enough.

Your Body Mass Index (BMI) is an indicator of overweight. Your BMI can be calculated using your weight in relation to your height. A healthy BMI is between 19 and 25. If your BMI is higher than 25, you are overweight. A BMI higher than 30 is considered obese (excessive overweight).

BECOMING PREGNANT

Overweight women are less likely to get pregnant; the higher the BMI, the less likely you are to get pregnant. It is therefore important that you are a healthy weight if you want to become pregnant. This increases the chance of pregnancy.

RISKS

Women who are obese (with a BMI of 30 or more at the start of pregnancy) have a higher risk of complications during pregnancy and postpartum.

RISKS TO THE MOTHER:

  • more chance of miscarriage
  • more likely to have high blood pressure and preeclampsia
  • more likely to have gestational diabetes
  • more chance of serotinity
  • more likely to have a prolonged delivery or a caesarean section

RISKS FOR THE BABY:

  • complications due to high blood pressure; such as premature birth or admission to the incubator
  • complications due to gestational diabetes; such as shoulder dystocia, too low sugar levels, too high birth weight, admission to the incubator.
  • increased risk of birth defects or death in the womb
  • more likely to experience fetal distress during labor

EXTRA CARE

On women who are obese during pregnancy, an extra sugar test (Oral Glucose Tolerance Test) is done around the 6th month of pregnancy to detect pregnancy sugar. These pregnant women also receive two extra ultrasounds to check the growth of the baby. Home birth is allowed up to a BMI of 35. If someone is overweight, it is advised to have the birth on the ground floor. In an emergency, the ambulance does not have to remove someone from the first or second floor.

If your BMI is above 40 at the start of the pregnancy, your pregnancy will be checked by the gynecologist.

NUTRITION

When you are pregnant it is important to eat a healthy, varied, and regular diet, even with a healthy BMI. If you are overweight, we advise you not to gain too much weight during pregnancy, a maximum of about 6 kilos. If you need advice about nutrition, discuss this with the midwife or make an appointment with the dietician, she regularly offers consultation hours at PUUR.